The New Nation - Internet Edition

Sebika Debnath

What a terrible time I went through! My son Adittya was born in Dhaka during the 1998-devastating flood. My husband used to work in Sylhet at that time. During my delivery, he couldnt come to Dhaka, as the road communication was cut off due to flood, Anindita Roy, a housewife, says recalling her bad memories.

And, to make the matter worse, no relative was with me. Finding me in a bad state, my neighbour got me admitted to a clinic. There was virtually nobody to look after me and Adittya, she says.

Anindita goes on: In Bangladesh, working mothers are given maternity leave. But, I think working fathers should also be given paternity leave like their female counterparts.

Nilanjana Haque agrees with her wholeheartedly. "My man works in Nilphamari, but I work in an NGO in capital Dhaka. Prior to the birth of our daughter Orchi, I had a few pregnancy-related problems. As a result, I had to undergo a caesarian operation."

"During the birth of Orchi, my husband could not be with me. I might not have been so helpless had my parents or my husbands parents were alive. In modern life, joint families are being broken creating single families. This is why working mums face enormous problems. Things get even worse if husbands have to live far away from their families," she says.

Shirin Sultana, a housewife from Tantibazar, also has bad bitter experience when she had the first baby. Despite working in Dhaka, her husband, Arif, could not manage days off to be with his wife all the time. Fortunately, Shirin had a brother-in law, who did all the necessary works, including taking her to the hospital.

She says, "Right after delivery, both my little boy and I developed some serious problems. I was admitted to a clinic while the baby was admitted to a hospital. After spending the whole day in office, Arif had to crisscross between the clinic, hospital and home. He himself fell sick after doing this for a quite some time. "

Every woman wants her husband to be with her during delivery, Shirin says." I think like women working males should be allowed to enjoy paternity leave. Because its the responsibility of every man to be with his wife and child at that crucial time. So, its necessary to enact a law to allow working men to enjoy paternity leave."

There are many women like Anindita, Nilanjana and Shirin who do not get their husbands with them at the time of delivery. But, every woman wants to have her hubby at that important and complicated time. Though working women are given four months maternity leave, working males are not given any paternity leave.

Some clauses of the United Nations charter on childrens rights do indeed justify that working men should get paternity leave to ensure welfare of the children.

Ataur Rahman, assistant public prosecutor of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court, says, "The issue of protecting children rights completely has been unequivocally stated in the UN charter on childrens rights. Yet, there is no law in Bangladesh to provide men to paternity leave. The leave men are currently given at the time of delivery is purely on humanitarian ground."

He also says, "Although we talk about equal rights, women are treated differently in every aspect. In our society, rearing up children is considered to be the task of women. The role of a mother in raising children is undeniable. But, along with the mother, you can't ignore the fathers role. To facilitate a man to be with his wife at the time of need and to play a positive role in the early days of a child, a law allowing paternity leave is necessary."

Dr Prof Liakat Ali Siddiqui, a teacher of Law department at Dhaka University, says, Paternity leave has become a necessity in the changing society, as joint families are being disintegrated and both the parents are now working. Besides, every child has the right to have parents with him.

He, however, says proper measures should be in place so that the intended law paternity leave cannot be misused. One will be granted paternity leave only after he provided the evidence.

Advocate Kohinoor Begum, assistant programme manager of Bangladesh Women Lawyers Association, says, "Every husband should be with his wife during the delivery to relieve her of the mental pressure. The responsibility to raise children doesnt solely lie with the mother rather both the parents are responsible for that. Working dads may be allowed at least one months paternity leave."

Monirul Islam, director of Bangladesh Mohila Parishad, says, "There must be a law for paternity leave. Ive recently become a dad. I think every working male should be with his wife before during and after delivery to give her mental support. A male should also look after his wife and kid at that time. Working women get four months maternity leave while males get nothing due to absence of law."

Its needless to say that both husband and wife are involved in the whole process starting from conceiving to delivery. Therefore, doctors ask husbands to be with their pregnant wives for looking after them. The company of a husband keeps his wife cheerful. Besides, husbandspresence makes his wife feel secure.